Spirit
by David Shigure
Summary: Nobody else knew that Naruto had the ability to communicate with the Kyuubi. Instead of a demonic monster, the Kyuubi is a trusted friend, a powerful ally, and maybe even more. The time has come to test their friendship, and to reveal their secret.
1. Together Forever

Just want to point out, this is yet another AU. And is rated 'M', just so that I don't have to hold back anything while I'm writing.^^  
Enjoy.

* * *

'Spirit'

Chapter 1: Together Forever.

My name is Naruto Uzumaki.

I'm sixteen years old, and I was born on October 10th. Which also happens to be a big day in the village that I live in, the village Hidden in the Leaves.  
The villagers celebrate the day where a terrible demon was finally brought down, sealed inside the belly of a newborn baby as a result of a battle between the fourth leader of our village, the Fourth Hokage and the demon.

We called this demon the Nine-Tailed Fox, or for short, the Kyuubi.

It's not a coincidence that my birthday coincides with the day a powerful demon was taken down. Far from it, as I am the container of the terrible Kyuubi. I was the newborn child that had the demon sealed inside of it, and grew up with it as a result, leading to a very unhealthy childhood.

The adult villagers hated me, but had been forbidden to tell me why. Why they used to call me terrible names, spit over me and even beat me to within an inch of my life. The adults had told their kids to stay away from me, so not only leaving me completely alone, but helpless and kept completely in the dark.

Up until the age of twelve, I could name less people I knew were friendly to me, then I had fingers on a hand.  
Those people included the Third Hokage, the friendly and wise man who provided me shelter and the necessities to survive on. Iruka-sensei, one of my teachers at school who wasn't prejudiced against me and helped me when the going got tough. And Teuchi and Ayame at Ichiraku's ramen shop.

Four people, out of a village that housed thousands of civilians and ninja alike.

After graduating the ninja Academy, Squad Seven became a part of my life I'm never going to forget.  
Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno and Kakashi Hatake.  
My teacher and two classmates from the Academy days, we went on plenty of adventures together. Made some new friends and enjoyable memories together. And some bad ones too.

And slowly, I got to know the rest of the ninja my age, slowly developing friendships with the rest of them.  
Kiba, Hinata and Shino. Shikamaru, Ino and Choji. Neji, Tenten and Rock Lee.  
They made up the rest of the squads who graduated from the Academy. And the rest of my friends.

It was a time where I needed more than two hands to count my friends. It was great.

Until my best friend left the village and betrayed his friends, to kill his brother and seek power.  
Sasuke Uchiha. Trying to bring him home almost cost me my life, and left behind a mental scar.  
But that's a whole other story.

There came a time where an evil, criminal organisation, the Akatsuki, began coming after me.  
For two years, I left to train to fight off these guys, with the 'Legendary Master Jiraiya'. Or pervy sage, as I like to call him.  
They were after the Kyuubi, the sleeping demon fox inside my belly.

So far, they haven't taken it yet.  
Or rather, they haven't taken her yet.

I've been keeping a secret for a long time. Ever since I could walk, talk and think comprehensible thoughts.  
I've been friends with the Kyuubi ever since I was three years old.  
And she's not anywhere near as bad as people have made her out to be.  
If only they knew the truth...

**********

Watching the door, a kunai resting loosely in my left hand, I'm trying to listen out for any signs of trouble.

Today I turned sixteen. Which should mean that I get presents, maybe a cake and a few cards?  
Sure, I got a few cards. A funny one from Kiba, saying something about being legal and I should go out and have fun. Some pretty ones from the girls, weird ones from Shikamaru, Shino and Choji, but nice all the same.

I even got a few presents.  
A nice, silver pendant from Hinata, which I'm wearing around my neck, next to the Shodai's necklace. A few, extra spicy ramen pouches from Choji. A set of fluffy handcuffs and a copy of Icha Icha Paradise from Kiba. Three sets of kunai and a pair of fingerless gloves embroidered with the Konoha Leaf symbol from Shikamaru, who was obviously planning ahead for the winter.

A photo album from Sakura, with pictures from way back in the days of Squad Seven, up until recently with me and Sakura just hanging out together, or with the other ninja. A pair of retro sunglasses from Shino, just like the ones he always wears, alongside a nice and warm, white hooded fleece.

A giant scroll from Tenten, containing just about every weapon I could possibly think of, with a little note begging me to come train with her someday. A foldaway, wooden training post from Rock Lee, the same kind used by him and his sensei. A beautiful chrome vase and a bouquet of lily's from Ino, which I put on the desk, where I couldn't possibly knock it over.  
And a small, silver box that contained a rare and beautiful gemstone from Neji, which I put next to the flowers from Ino.

All in all, one of the best birthdays I've had so far, considering I never used to get anything from anyone, except maybe the Third Hokage and Iruka-sensei.

Hearing a noise outside, I groan. I was hoping I could go a year without their being any morons from the village trying to attack the 'demon child', usually out of a drunken rage.  
In the beginning, I used to get mobs of people outside the apartment, trying to force there way in and beat me into a pulp. The ANBU would only go in at the last second, when it looked like I really was going to die.

Over the years, the crowds got thinner, and thinner. To the point where, it was now only the occasional drunk idiot.  
But I still had to keep on guard. I liked his apartment in the state it was, and I didn't fancy getting it trashed by anyone today.

"Do you really think anything's going to happen tonight?"

A familiar voice spoke inside his head.

"Hopefully not, but that would make this year the first year I didn't get anyone paying me unwelcome visits." I said, sighing. "I'm not holding my breath."

The familiar voice spoke up again. "You never know, this might be your lucky year Naruto." The voice said teasingly.

"What are you hinting at, Kyuubi?" A wide grin formed across my face. Being a teenager was so much fun. The innuendo never got boring.

"Well..." The female voice of the Kyuubi echoed through out my head. "You're at that age now where girls suddenly become a lot more interesting to you. And apart from that, the mobs have finally given up and finally left you alone. Which means you've suddenly got a whole lot more free time on your birthday. Free time to do...other things, Naruto." Even without seeing her, I knew what she was up to. I could hear the sensuality in her voice.

I've seen her quite a few times, usually when I'm dreaming and she's pulled me into the world she's trapped in. The one with dark halls and dripping pipes. The one where she lives, trapped behind a powerful seal.

When she's angry, her true form comes out. The giant Nine-Tailed Fox.  
But it's been a long time since I saw her that angry.

So her normal form, the one she uses when she talks to me, looks a lot like my sexy jutsu form. Except, instead of blond, double-pigtailed hair, her's is crimson. And her eyes retain the crimson colour, as well as the slitted pupils of a fox. She's also got the same three whisker scars on both cheeks like I do. Insanely beautiful and pretty damn sexy.

"Other things huh?"

I smiled again, rolling my eyes. "What did you have in mind?"

"You can't be that dense! Listen to your hormones! I can hear them screaming in here..." She giggled.

"But I'm still an innocent young man."

"You're kidding. Two years spent with Jiraiya and you still think you're innocent? I was still around when you were reading those idiotic books he writes, peeping on the girls in Tanzaku and ever since you got back to Konoha, flirting with all the female ninja in the whole, damn village.  
Sure, you haven't gone 'that' far, but you've know how it works. I just want to be the one that you want to be with forever, and the first step to a loving relationship is sealing the deal with a night of passionate lovemaking." Her giggling was infection, it didn't take long for me to start laughing too.

"You should help Jiraiya with his books, you'd be a great source of inspiration to him."

"Shut up Naruto! Here I am, declaring my undying love for you, with the promise of some hot sex and you're completely pulling the romance out of it." She huffed. I could almost imagine her pouting like a rejected teenager.

"And you should feel lucky. Girls don't lose their virginity to just anyone, and I'm practically a goddess. Well, a demonic goddess, but you get the idea."

"That's a bit vain, isn't it? And wait, you're still a virgin?" That tidbit of information sent waves of surprise throughout my mind. "You've been around since forever, and yet you never found a fellow demon to get it on with?"

"You've got to be the most unromantic guy I've ever met Naruto... Not only did you dig at my age, but you're making fun of my innocence. Do you really think I go for a guy like, oh I don't know, Shukaku? Not only is he ugly, but he smells, he gets sand everywhere and he's even more insensitive than you are!"

"...I'm sensitive..." I said in mock hurt voice.

"Yeah, about as sensitive as a fish..."

A loud crash came from outside the apartments. Both Naruto and Kyuubi went deathly quiet, listening to the air around them.

"Looks like we do have some uninvited guests after all..." I growled, keeping my voice low.

"For gods sake, can't these people leave us alone..." Kyuubi sighed.

Moving towards the door to my apartment, I stand next to the door, putting my ear on the wooden surface. Kunai in my right hand, I gripped it tightly. The feel of a nice, weighty weapon in my hand felt comforting.

I could hear shuffling outside, and a few whispered voices. Whoever these guys were, they weren't doing a very good job at being quiet.  
Stepping back from the door, I prepared myself, settling into a fighting stance.

"Be careful Naruto. We can't do anything together if you're in a hospital bed."

"I'll keep that in mind." I smirked, keeping an eye on the door. Surprisingly, I could hear a giggle that sounded feminine, and familiar. A whisper echoed through the door, sounding like somebody was telling somebody else to be quiet.  
Lowering my kunai for a moment, I stared at the door, trying to make out the noises and the voices.

Suddenly, the door flung open.

"Happy Birthday Naruto!!" All of his ninja friends were standing outside his apartment. Ino, Sakura, Hinata, Choji, Shikamaru, Neji, Lee, Tenten, Shino and Kiba with Akamaru, all dressed in casual gear instead of their ninja outfits. Hinata and Sakura were both holding a cake, with a badly drawn version of his face iced on it.

Ino and Tenten both looked a bit red, and were in a very giggly mood. They had been at the drink before the party had even started.

"Don't mind the girls, They won't do any harm." Shikamaru smiled.

Everyone piled into the apartment and made themselves comfortable, even though his place wasn't very big. The cake was laid out on his desk.

"Make a wish, Naruto." Sakura nodded towards the candles and put a hand on his shoulder.

Inside his mind, the Kyuubi giggled. "Don't worry. I promise, I won't read your thoughts this time."

With a grin, he inhaled some air, and exhaled it, blowing out all the candles.

"Happy Birthday Naruto!" Even the Kyuubi joined in with the chant.

Grinning ear to ear, he closed his eyes and tried his hardest to imprint the memory into his mind.  
This was the best birthday he ever had.


	2. Haunted

Sorry for the long delay everybody. Its been so busy lately that I haven't been able to write much fanfic at all these past few months. But its given me time and inspiration for more chapters, so stay tuned.

* * *

'Spirit'

Chapter 2: Haunted

The rule in any ninja village was that as soon as you got your hitai-ite, you were officially a ninja.  
Which also meant that you were officially an adult.

Even though most of Naruto's friends were around the age of sixteen or seventeen, they were trusted to be as responsible as adults when it came to missions and looking out for the lives of others.

Nobody had mentioned to them that this also applied to parties and getting drunk.

* * *

It was around midnight.

The birthday party was still in full swing, and it was showing no sign of letting up any time soon.

Watching the others, I decided to take a break and sit down. The room was extremely hot, and there was so much sake around, no one was really sober enough to care.  
Looking around, I could feel myself grinning like an idiot.

"Jeez... you really are a lightweight." The Kyuubi giggled inside my brain. As a result of the Kyuubi being locked up inside my body, she was also feeling the effects of the sake. It made for some interesting conversation.

"Shut up..." I said, slurring my words slightly. "You're not doing much better..."

"That is true... Ah well, at least we're doing better than Hinata." Looking over towards the Hyuuga princess, I had to stifle a laugh.  
Hinata was completely red, with a bottle of sake hanging loosely from one hand and her head buried on her arm, lying on the table. I would've loved to take a picture to show Hinata's father afterwards.

Whilst looking around the room for my camera, I could see Ino talking to Shikamaru, who looked extremely embarrassed about something.  
From the look of it, Ino was trying to talk seductively, which only seemed to be awkward for Shikamaru.

"Heh, keep trying Ino..." I said, taking a swig of sake. "Temari will hunt you down if she finds you flirting with her man."

"Temari...isn't she that Sand ninja...?" Kyuubi said slowly, her voice gently slurring.

"Yeah, she's Gaara's older sister. She's kinda cute..." I thought of the quadruple-pigtailed Sand ninja in my head. She was a Jonin now, and helped Gaara run the Sand village. "Bit aggressive though..."

"And I'm not?"

"Well..." I thought about it for a second. "You're aggressive, but not in the same way. You're slightly more feral... but in a way, that's good. It's more exciting."

"...I don't know if that's good or bad but I'll show you what it means to be feral when I've got you pinned down to a bed."

"Wow. That sounds unbelievably scary when you think about it. Being pinned down by the nine-tailed fox." I said with a giggle. Inside my mind, I could hear the Kyuubi pouting. Taking a sip of the sake, I closed my eyes for a moment.

"But the others don't know you like me." I said, smiling. "I know the Kyuubi is actually a big softie, who loves to chat endlessly and loves chocolate. She also loves animals, and is actually a decent cook, although where you learnt to cook inside my belly is a mystery."

"And one day, when I find a way to release you in a way that won't anger the villagers, you'll be my wife someday. The wife of the future Hokage!" I said gently, hoping it would cheer her up.

"I really wish I could hug you right now Naruto..." Kyuubi sniffled. "That was one of the nicest things you ever said to me. Without sarcasm."

"I'll remember the hug for when I release you." I yawned. I was getting sleepy.

"Along with all the other things I promised I would do to you when I was released?" Kyuubi giggled. There was quite a few to remember.

"Hopefully, yeah." I smiled. "If not, I'm sure you'd come up with something even better."

"Oh you bet. I've had a long time to come up with things, I'm not letting any of that time go to waste."

I smiled, with thoughts of sweet love wandering through my mind. They were wordless thoughts, so the Kyuubi didn't get to hear them. In a few years time, I could imagine standing on top of the Hokage monument, with Kyuubi in the flesh, standing by him as his bride.

My thoughts were interrupted as somebody tapped me on the shoulder.

Sakura was grinning at him, a wild, crimson blush splashed right across her face. She was holding a half-empty bottle of sake that looked as though it might fall out of her hand at any moment.

"Hey Naruto..." Her eyes were slowly crossing and uncrossing. "I think Hinata needs a little bit of cheering up." She hoisted me up, getting me to stand in a relatively straight position. With a strong shove, she pushed me in Hinata's general direction, who was now sitting up and had a blush that looked even fiercer than Sakura's.

"Do your thing, lover boy!" Sakura cheered. I gave her a vague look and turned to face the now confused and disorientated Hinata.

"Naruto...?" The time it took just to say my name seemed like an eternity. It was painful to think how much she might've had to drink.

"Hey Hinata. You doing okay?" Even with a throbbing head and the room gently spinning in circles, I could still think relatively straight. Trying to get the words from my brain out my mouth proved to be slightly more difficult.

Hinata nodded slowly. "Yeah... I just feel... really... sleepy..." She gently rocked backwards and forwards. She looked at me, and gave me a sleepy looking smile. "Naruto, I had... a dream... about you."

"A dream?"

She nodded. "Yeah... we were on our way back from a mission... just us two. We had been running... through the trees... all day. When it all turned dark... and the stars came out. We stopped... to rest. And there was... a waterfall nearby..." She stopped to shake her head a few times, keeping herself awake.

"The waterfall... It was reflecting the moonlight. It was beautiful." She moved to sit next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. "Underneath the waterfall, you were standing there. Your eyes... they were closed. You weren't... wearing a shirt. And... you were smiling. You looked at peace... with the world around you." She giggled slightly, followed by a hiccup.

"I watched you... as you stood underneath the waterfall... and I couldn't help it..." She giggled even more. "I decided to join you... standing... under the waterfall..." Her speech was deteriorating steadily. She looked as though her eyes were about to close, fluttering softly. "I had my arms around you... the both of us... we weren't... wearing...anything..." She giggled again, but it could barely be heard. "And... then we... kissed..." Her eyes closed, and she fell asleep, her head rolling off my shoulder and onto my lap, where I could hear the sound of her quiet breathing.

"I hope to god she remembers all this tomorrow." An extremely drunk Kiba wandered over, his face flushed. He prodded Hinata's cheek. "Yup, she's out cold." He looked up at me and grinned. "I hope you realise this means you're either letting her stay here tonight, or carrying her back to the Hyuuga compound. And if I was her father, I would not be impressed." He winked at me.

My brain froze in its drunken state. Hiashi Hyuuga would rip me limb from limb if I brought home Hinata in her unconscious state. But letting her stay here would be equally as dangerous.

I looked over to Sakura, she might be able to let Hinata stay over her place. "Hey, Sakura?"

"What?"

"Would you be able to let Hinata stay round yours tonight? I don't think her father's going to be happy if I carry her home unconscious."

She shook her head. "I can't, I'm staying round Ino's." She held up a bottle of sake. "My mum wouldn't let me in the house if I was drunk, so Ino's letting me crash at hers."  
Shaking my head, I turned to Ino, who was still fawning over Shikamaru. "Hey Ino, you got room for one more at your place?"

"Are you kidding! My mum would kill me if I brought you home. Sakura's bad enough as it is!"  
"Shut it, Ino-pig!" Sakura yelled from the other side of the room.

"I meant, would you be able to take Hinata to your place?" I said, my hand slowly massaging the aching temples on my head.  
"Oh... I can't Naruto, sorry. There's no space in my room." Ino smirked. "She could always sleep here."

I glared at her. "Hiashi would kill me." I sighed and looked over at Tenten. "Please...?"

Tenten gave me a sad smile. "I would Naruto, I really would, but I'm sneaking into my own house as it is. Unless Hinata weighs less than a stone, I can't sneak her into my house without angering the folks at home." She smiled awkwardly. "Sorry."

"Dammit, now what do I do?" I groaned. The girls all came over with evil smiles. Sakura whispered something in Ino's ear, who giggled violently and whispered it into Tenten's ear, who gasped and turned bright red. I was guessing that they were planning something that I would surely regret in the morning.

"Naruto..." Sakura bent down in front of him, with her face only inches away from his. She winked at him. "If you promise to keep your end of the deal, we'll help you out with your problem, deal?"

"What deal?" Trying to keep his cool with Sakura inches away from him was almost impossible. Her lips were glistening, and he could feel her breath on his face. It was driving him crazy.

"Just agree to it first, and we'll help you out as much as we can." She grinned. "You're going to need all the help you can right now."

I didn't like it. Something was up, but I didn't have much of a choice. "Fine, deal." I grimaced as I shook her hand. It felt like I had just signed myself up to a death warrant.

"Great, he's agreed to it." She jumped up and giggled. I could suddenly breathe again as my personal space returned back to me. Sakura winked at the other girls before looking back at me. "Well, none of us can take her home with us, and I wouldn't leave her with any of the other boys, so..." She gave me an evil smile. "She's going to have to stay here for the night."

"What! She can't stay here!" I felt panic take over as Kiba burst out laughing.  
"But you've already agreed to it Naruto." Tenten said, whilst trying not to giggle.

"That's right." Sakura continued. "And besides, we think it would be better, taking into account the circumstances." She looked at Hinata, who was sleeping peacefully on my lap. "Even if she does get a surprise in the morning, I don't think she would mind." Looking back up at me, she continued. "If her father or mother ask any questions, we'll just say she stayed with us. He should be fine with it, so you have a cover."

It sounded risky. Very risky. But at the moment, I didn't really have any other way. Looking up at the others, I gave a sigh of defeat. "Fine, she can stay."

"Great!" Sakura nodded with a grin. "We'll have to change her a bit and she can't sleep in all of her clothes. After that, we'll call it a night." And with that, the boys all bade farewell, followed shortly by Ino and Tenten.

"Thanks for the great party everyone!" I shouted from my door as the others all wobbled their way home. A cheer erupted from the small group, making me laugh. I had been a great party, the best one I had ever had.  
Turning back into my room, Hinata was already asleep in my bed, her heavy jacket and trousers already in a pile next to it. The thought of Hinata in my bed, wearing only her black fishnet vest, bra and panties suddenly hit me, making me freeze. Sakura turned round, smiling.

"She should be fine now." She giggled at me. "When you get in with her, try not to wake her up." She laughed even louder when she saw the look on my face.

"What!" I yelled. "I was going to sleep on the floor with a spare duvet."

"Oh come on Naruto, you can just say you were drunk and passed out next to her, she won't mind." Her face had gone red from laughing as she walked towards me. "You'll be fine, I know you won't try anything with her."

"I swear, the more drunk you get, the more perverted you get Sakura..." I said, shaking my head. She giggled again, and looked at me, trying to play innocence.

"Whatever do you mean Naruto? I'm just helping out a friend in need." She smiled sweetly, before laughing again. "I'm gonna head home then, have fun." She winked at me. As she walked past me, she slowly stopped before she reached the door. Her walking was still a bit disorientated. Turning around, she quickly walked back to me.  
"Naruto, look at my hands." She had her hands clasped together in front of her chest. When she saw me looking, she nodded. "Good, now close your eyes." Thoroughly confused, I closed them anyway and waited.

Without warning, she slowly kissed me on the lips, with her hands resting on my shoulders. My eyes opened in surprise, and my body froze. The kiss only lasted a second, but it felt like a minute.

As she slowly drew back, she grinned again with her eyes closed. "Happy birthday, Naruto." She turned to look at Hinata again. "If you didn't already have a guest, I'd have stayed a little longer..." She giggled, with a faint blush appearing on her already flushed face. It made me wander what my own face looked like right about now. She smiled again and walked towards the door. "See ya tomorrow, Naruto." And with that, she was finally gone.

Walking towards the bed, I sat down on the edge of it. Sighing, I turned around to look at Hinata. "How did I end up in this mess?" Turning away from Hinata for a moment, I closed his eyes and concentrated. In the depths of my mind, I could hear the sound of the Kyuubi snoring peacefully.  
Turning back to Hinata, I felt my libido rise. Hinata's long hair was partly covering her face, and I leaned over to gently brush it from her eyes. She was so beautiful, I couldn't quite believe how amazing she looked before. Sleeping peacefully, she looked so pretty.

Suddenly, my head was hit with a wave of tiredness. I knew it wouldn't be long before I passed out. Flinging off my shirt quickly, I collapsed onto the bed next to Hinata. Thoughts of the beautiful girl were ringing through my head, until eventually, it all went dark.

* * *

It was still dark. Something was moving up and down my crotch, and moaning. It felt really good.

Opening my eyes slightly, I could see the faint outline of a long-haired girl, gently rocking back on forth whilst sitting on my pelvis. Opening my eyes a little more, I could see the faint outline of a fishnet vest and black panties, with beautiful pale white legs resting on my own tracksuit bottoms. Looking to my right, where Hinata fell asleep, I saw that she was no longer there. Which meant this had to be Hinata!

Opening my eyes fully now in a panic, I tried sitting up. But before I even started moving, Hinata pushed my shoulders down, and moved her face inches away from mine. The weirdest thing about this entire situation was that Hinata was still fast asleep. She was having a dream, and from what I could tell, it involved me.

"N-no, Naruto. Relax, I'll do all the work..." I could feel her breathing, and every moan that she made right across my face. My junior member never had a chance, he was up and aroused before he even had a chance...

"Oh Naruto... Naruto!" Her moaning was getting harder. Whatever was happening in this dream, it was getting pretty aggressive. Without warning, she quickly smothered me with a crushing kiss, that literally took my breath away. I suddenly felt a wet spot on my pelvis, and I wasn't sure whether it was me or her that was the source of it.

This continued for several hours.

* * *

When both Naruto and Hinata had finally passed out, or just collapsed in Hinata's case, from exhaustion, there was silence. The window was still very slightly open, and a cool breeze drifted into the room.  
Suddenly, somebody sped through the window and landed in his room without making a sound. It was a girl, with long, dark purple coloured hair, wearing a long, black, slightly gothic looking trench coat. In her right hand, she was carrying a heavy-looking, metallic suitcase. The girl walked over to Naruto's desk, and put the trunk on top of it, leaving a note with it.

Walking over to Naruto, she bent down next to him and gave him a small kiss.

"This world has been destroyed once before. You're the only one who can save this world, Naruto." She whispered into his ear.

And with that, she left the way she came, jumping out of the window and disappearing into the night.

* * *

Unfortuantely, fanfic isnt letting me put in dividers, so these awful long lines will have to do for now. Sorry ^^


	3. The Shadow Cast by the Light of Science

After reading this chapter, you may recognise where I'm basing a few of my ideas from. When somebody finally guesses it, I'll officially announce that this story is a crossover with something, but not quite, as I'm only borrowing ideas, not characters.

* * *

'Spirit'

Chapter 3: The Shadow Cast by the Light of Science

The morning sun crept into Naruto's apartment, softly illuminating the room with a faint, orange glow.

The sun sparkled as the light reflected itself from the shiny, metallic surface of the trunk that was standing on Naruto's desk. The light reflected itself onto the faces of the room's two occupants, who were currently tangled up in each other's arms, with one of Hinata's legs strewn over one of Naruto's, and her arms wrapped around his neck. The sun had only just risen, so it wouldn't be long now until the two shinobi awoke to their situation.

* * *

Hinata woke up first, her eyelids fluttering in the morning light. Her head was so sore, and last night seemed like a misty haze. All she wanted to do right now was lie still, just like she was, with her arms wrapped around her nice, warm, soft pillow. Nuzzling her nose into her 'pillow', she suddenly realised there was a strange smell on it. It wasn't a bad smell by any means, she actually kind of enjoyed it. But it smelled masculine, and it reminded her strangely of Naruto.

Her eyes flickered open, with her eyes opening to fluffy, bright blond hair. Her heartbeat began to race, as she suddenly realised it was definitely not a pillow she had her arms and legs wrapped around.  
She didn't want to move, just in case she woke up Naruto and frightened him. And she was in too much shock to move. Why was she in Naruto's bed? Why was she in Naruto's bed wearing only her fishnet vest and black panties? Why did she have a raging hangover? And more importantly, did anything happen?  
So much of last night was a mystery, she was worried that they might have unintentionally gone too far. She couldn't even remember getting into bed with Naruto.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. She was in the same bed as the guy she loved and had loved for a very long time. And in all honesty, with the way she acted so shy around him during the day, this was probably the furthest she was ever going to get with him, because so far, this was the furthest she had ever gotten with him.  
So, while she was in the position she was in now, she might as well enjoy the moment. Because who knew when this would ever happen again.

She held Naruto tighter, burying her face into his naked back, trying to burn everything she could feel, smell, see and hear into her memory forever. It was like a wish come true, or rather, it was more like a dream come true.  
Naruto rolled onto his back, and she could suddenly see his face. His sleeping eyes, the three whisker-scars on the cheek facing her and his closed lips. All of a sudden, she found herself transfixed on his lips. They looked soft, and she suddenly felt a strong sensation, all over her body. She wanted to kiss him, even if it was only a small kiss.

She wasn't sure why she was doing it, and she could feel her heart beat a mile a minute. She moved her leg that was on top of Naruto's left leg, over to his right side, so that now instead of lying on his left, she was now straddling him, with her arms lying flat on either side of his head, and her face inches away from his. She was so close, that she could feel his breathing against her face. She was close enough, that the tip of her nose was gently rubbing against his. Her forehead was almost touching his, and more importantly, his lips were millimetres away. It was now, or never.

She slowly pressed her lips up against his, moving her hands to the sides of his head. It felt wonderful. His touch, his taste, everything about him sent her into an ecstasy of pleasure. She kept it going for as long as she felt was right, before slowly pulling away, looking at the sleeping Naruto's face as he slept on peacefully.

"Oh Naruto..." She sighed. She wanted to lay there, on top of him, forever. But she knew that eventually he would wake up, and then her little fantasy would be over. With a sigh of regret, she pulled the duvet over the two of them, but she remained lying on top of him, preferring Naruto's torso to his pillow. In a way, she was kind of looking forward to seeing his reaction when he finally woke up.

* * *

Two hours had gone by.

Hinata had fallen back to sleep, and the morning sun steadily rose higher. People began the day, slowly bustling outside Naruto's window, where the world just simply moved on.  
It seemed like it was going to be a peaceful day.

* * *

My head was killing me. I'm not sure exactly how much I had to drink last night, but it felt like I'd hit my head on something, and all that was left was the dull, thumping ache afterwards.  
Even my torso felt heavy, like either all the muscles in my body were exhausted, or there was something on top of me.

I tried to move an arm, but it actually felt like something was resting on top of it. Although the other arm didn't have the same problem. The main area of pressure was on my torso, and it was preventing me from sitting up. Feeling slightly worried now, I decided to groggily open an eye, to see if there was any major problems.

Unfortunately, there was a major problem.

Hinata was lying on top of me, underneath the duvet. I could feel her all curled up, with her legs bent on my thighs, and a hand on my torso, where the rest of Hinata seemed to be lying on. She actually looked pretty peaceful. She even had a smile on her face, which made me smile.  
But unfortunately, I had to move her. Not only would I be in so much trouble if anybody found out about this, but I desperately needed the bathroom.

Taking in the image of her looking so peaceful one last time, I gently nudge her shoulder. "Hinata, its time to wake up." She just mumbled and curled into an even tighter ball, which was putting more pressure on my already screaming bladder.  
Nudging her again, she decided to move her arms from my chest to around my neck. I could feel her breathing on my neck, and it was sending shivers all over my body, as well as waking up my masculine anatomy. As much as I loved that feeling, I still had to wake her up.

"Sorry about this..." I said reluctantly, as I moved my hands to her sides, and gently began tickling her. Slowly, she began giggling. I increased the pressure a little more, which got her to giggle louder, and she began struggling against my fingers.  
Five minutes later, Hinata was fully-conscious, tears streaming down her face from laughing so hard. She was on her knees now, still on top of me, with her head buried in my torso, laughing so freely. I've never heard Hinata laugh so naturally, but it sounded really nice.

"You're so mean, Naruto. I was having such a nice dream, and you ruined it." She playfully beat her fists against my chest in mock anger. I grinned, excited by this new, outward personality Hinata was showing.

"I'm sorry Hinata. I would've let you dream a bit longer, but I really gotta use the bathroom. I don't want to leave this comfortable situation, but I gotta go." Hinata nodded with a mischievous smile before rolling off me, back onto her side of the bed. I smiled gratefully, and got up out of the bed. Walking towards the bathroom, Hinata spoke before I got to the door.

"Naruto..." She said my name softly. I turned around, she had a nervous expression on her face. "Did we... do anything, last night?" She mumbled. I scratched my head, trying to remember. As far as I remember, apart from Hinata doing her weird sleep thing, nothing else really happened.

"Don't worry, we didn't do anything Hinata." I smiled, trying to reassure her. She smiled, and looked relieved. I grinned again, remember the events of last night. "Although that said, you sure like to move around when you're asleep, y'know?" I teased her, and watched as she turned bright red.

"Leave me alone, go to the bathroom!" She picked up a pillow and chucked it at my head. I retreated into the bathroom, chuckling. I took a look into the mirror, and was amazed at how tired I looked. The party really took it out of me, even with as much stamina as I had. Looking over my face, I suddenly noticed a faint glimmer on my lips. It looked like somebody had put glittery lip balm on my lips. It was either that, or somebody had kissed me.

Looking at it closely, I suddenly remembered Sakura's little kiss last night. But Sakura wasn't wearing any lip balm or lipstick, he could vaguely remember. And the ones on his lips he could see was a specific silvery, glittery type of lip balm.

Walking out of the bathroom after I had relieved myself and washed my hands, brushed my teeth and all the other mundane morning activities that needed to be done in a bathroom, I slowly walked over to Hinata, who was sitting up in my bed, still wearing what she had when she woke up. But what caught my attention more was her lips.  
They also had the same glittery, sparkly silver stuff that I had on my lips. It was faint, but definitely there. Hinata caught me staring, and after looking at my own lips, she figured out what had me so intrigued.

"Heheh..." She laughed nervously. I could see it written all over her face. I grinned at her, I had no idea that she could be so bold.

"It looks like I was attacked in my sleep." I gently rubbed my lips with a finger, showing her my fingertip. "Recognise this?"

"Maybe..." Hinata giggled softly. I was about to walk over to her to push her over on the bed, when something sparkled in the corner of my eye. A bright silver, metallic trunk, with no obvious latches to open it. Walking over to it, I could see a note attached to the side. Nodding towards it, I looked at Hinata.

"Hey, is that yours?"

Hinata shook her head, and stood up from the bed to stand behind me, with her hands on my shoulders, looking over my shoulder nervously at the trunk. "It could be dangerous."  
I nodded in agreement. It could be anything.  
I slowly approached it, and tore off the note that was fastened onto its side.

What I read was the most confusing thing in the entire world, and it went like this:

"_More obscure than the darkness coming out from the abyss, that is the shadows cast by the light of science.  
More silent than the darkness sleeping in the sea of ice, that is the shadow frozen in the melody of science.  
More deep than the darkness coming out from the abyss, that is the sword that judges the illusion of science.  
More shaving than the darkness coming out from the ice crystals, that is the shade dissolved by the tears of science.  
More eternal than the darkness awakening from faraway, that is the time bound by the chain of science.  
More deep than the darkness coming out from the forge, that is the metal sphere forged by the hammer of science._

_Open the Extractor, but only if you can burden great pain.  
Command it to open, and it will open.  
But only if you already know great suffering._

_For here lies the power to shape the world.  
To save it, or to destroy it._

_This world was destroyed once, by the ruling maiden of calamity.  
And now, the second world is under threat.  
Connecting the chains of time, this world can be saved, as well as the previous world before."_

I had no idea what the letter meant. It sounded so dark, and evil. But it also explained about this world being under threat. He wasn't sure what to do.

"um, Naruto?"

Hinata looked confused, and a little bit worried about the trunk. "That thing... It sounds dangerous."  
I had to agree with her. This trunk sounded very dangerous indeed. I was thinking of giving it to Granny Tsunade, who might have a better idea of what its supposed to be, and whether the threat of the world thing made any sense to her.  
But before I could come to any sort of decision, a strange, ghost-like image flickered in front of the trunk, standing just in front of me. I felt Hinata's hands grip tighter on to my shoulders as the figure in front of me materialised into something I faintly recognised.

After a while, I figured out who it was. It was a ghost of Hinata.

The real Hinata behind me gasped in surprise as she figured out who it was. I couldn't move, I was so surprised. The ghost Hinata smiled at me, and bowed politely.

"_I'm sorry, Naruto. This is probably coming as a huge surprise to you, and I wish I could explain, but I don't have a lot of time." _She stood up straight again. "_I am the Hinata from the First World. The world that is slowly being eaten away because of a failed experiment, and it is a world that looks identical to your own, except that we are in separate, parallel dimensions."_

_"The trunk here is called an Extractor. Opening it gives you a great power for you to command, but at a heavy price. However, we need your power now to save what's left of the First World, which is why I've been sent here. To open the trunk, you must command it, by simply asking it to open. What happens after that is up to you, but there is a person in your world that will help you with your new power." _The ghost Hinata smiled at my terrified face. "_I'm not technically a ghost, y'know. I am what you might call a spectral apparition, which means my real body is still in the First World." _Her ghost-like form began to flicker slightly. "_It looks like I'm almost out of time. Naruto, we need your help... Please, save us!"_

The ghost Hinata slowly flickered in and out of focus, until eventually, her form disappeared.

The real Hinata's hands were still clenched tightly on his shoulders. I put a hand onto one of hers to soothe her nerves, and I felt her relax.

"Naruto... What are you going to do?" I heard her say from behind me. I looked at the trunk, and came to a decision.

"The only thing I can do."

I walked towards the trunk, and placed my hand on the handle. Hinata stepped back a little bit. Looking at the silver casing of the box, I took a deep breath.

"Open."

A thin, white line revealed where the case opened. The trunk flipped open, revealing nothing but a deep, shadowy substance, that quickly leaked out of the trunk and enveloped me. The seal on my belly suddenly felt extremely painful, and my whole body was in screaming in agony.

"Naruto!" Hinata screamed from the corner of the room. I could only vaguely here her voice though. Because inside my own head, I could hear the Kyuubi screaming as well. Not long afterwards, everything went black.


	4. Asura Machina

'Spirit'

Chapter 4: Friend or Foe?

Waking up slowly, I found myself in a familiar place. The Konoha Hospital.

The familiar feel of thin, white bedsheets, the pristine duvet and the hanging curtains all around the bed served only to remind me that my life as a shinobi was a dangerous one.  
Turning to face my right, I saw a sleeping Hinata, her head laying on the side of my bed, now dressed in her normal clothes.

I kind of missed the black lace panties and fishnet vest, if I'm honest.

She had her hands resting on my left hand, and had fallen asleep in her own arms. It made me wonder how long she had been there.  
Which then made me think, how long had I been here for?

As if to answer my question, the curtain around my bed opened, with Sakura's head poking around it. She smiled when she saw me awake.

"So you're finally awake." By the sound of her voice, I must've been asleep for a while.

"So how long was I out?" I grimaced when I saw the expression on her face change.

"Three days, Naruto. Three whole days. And with no physical injuries, it's worrying that we only know one reason why you've been out of it for so long." She walked into my curtained-off area and sat on the end of my bed, taking care not to wake Hinata. "You have a strange, chakra-like substance flowing around you're internal chakra system. And the only reason we know that much is because of Hinata's Byakugan being able to sense things like this."

"So I have a strange chakra flowing around me..." When she said that, my mind suddenly thought of the strange, silver trunk with the dark, flowing substance inside of it. "Before I was knocked out, I remember trying to open a silver trunk, which had lots of strange, dark stuff in it. What happened to it?"

"The Hokage had it confiscated, and we're trying to investigate it now. However, there's nothing left in it. When we found you unconscious after Hinata raised the alarm, the trunk had been left open, with you lying on the floor. Unconscious, but still screaming in agony..." Sakura suddenly looked extremely upset.

Looking down at my duvet, I suddenly remembered the sounds of screaming inside my head. It sounded like the Kyuubi had been in a lot of pain as well.

"The seal on my stomach was painful as well Sakura." I lifted my shirt to take a look at my seal. But when I saw what had happened to it, I'd panicked. The seal had almost completely faded away. There was now only a vague outline of the seal left.

Sakura sighed. "That's something else we cannot explain. When we found you, the seal was glowing with a dark and mystical aura. After a little while, it faded away, and it appears to have eaten away at the protective seal. However, the Kyuubi hasn't broken free of it yet. We're not sure why, or if it's still even inside you any more. But nothing else has happened."

Her words had left me in shock. The Kyuubi? She can't have been killed by whatever was inside that trunk?  
I felt numb. I didn't know what to say...

~~~

The hospital discharged my later that day, and the Hokage summoned me to her office almost instantly. Poor Hinata and Sakura wanted to know why I'd suddenly looked so out of it, but I told them I'd be okay. But the only way I'd be okay right now was if I heard Kyuubi's voice in my head.

I knocked on Tsunade's door when I got to her office. I heard her voice beckoning me in, and I opened the door.  
Tsunade stood up when she saw me, and looked at me hard.

"How are you feeling?" She asked sternly. "We don't know what this chakra is doing to you yet, and we cannot let the Kyuubi escape it's seal. It's important we know how you're feeling."

I looked back at her, and replied simply. "I'm fine."

She glared at me again, and in an instant, I knew she could tell I was lying.

"What's really happening?"

Trying to avoid her glare, whilst coming up with an answer was hard. But in the end, it didn't even matter. Something else had distracted me completely.  
I heard the Kyuubi talking to me.

_"Can you hear me, Naruto?"_

I felt my heart skip a few beats, and I could feel my face widen in shock. She was alive!  
But she sounded slightly distorted, like you'd hear on a mobile phone.

_"Something terrible has happened. But at the same time, this could be something good. However, you need to let me talk to the Hokage."_

"Naruto! What's going on!" Tsunade had obviously noticed my shocked expression.

_"I'm going to appear in front of all of you in a second."_

And just like she said, a fuzzy distortion appeared in the centre of the room, which slowly focused into the shape that Naruto had seen so many times in his dreams. The Kyuubi was now visible as a ghostly image in front of him.

The Hokage and Shizune both gasped, with Shizune taking a step back.

_"It's nice to meet you." _The Kyuubi bowed politely. _"I am the Kyuubi. This is my humanoid form."_

Kyuubi's humanoid form looked a lot like my sexy jutsu form. Long, slender legs, curvy hips and a slim waistline, with a generously ample bosom to go along with her double pigtailed hair, which was a fiery red instead of blond. Even the three whiskers on each cheek were there.  
Standing there, looking at her, I was in total shock. She'd never been able to do this before. The reason I could come up with to explain her new found ability was that the trunk had weakened the seal on my belly, giving her the ability to communicate in a sort of astral projection form.

"How are you able to do that?" Tsunade said slowly, not taking her eyes off of Kyuubi.

_"It's a long story, so if there's anything you don't understand, ask me. However, even I don't know all of the answers." _Kyuubi sighed. She floated towards me, standing next to me. I wanted to grab her hand, but not only could I not touch her in her current form, Tsunade would start thinking strange thoughts.

Kyuubi turned to me and bowed her head.

_"I'm sorry Naruto, but I have to tell her." _Understanding what she meant, I nodded my head. She turned back to the Hokage and took a breath.

_"Ever since I was sealed away inside of Naruto's belly, I have been able to communicate with him. I can talk with him, share his thoughts and feel his emotions, and his pain. We share the same body, so naturally we have always had a connection of sorts." _She looked up at Tsunade with pain in her eyes. _"So when the villagers of this village hated him for what I did to the village sixteen years ago, I felt his every emotion, and all of his pain. Emptiness, loneliness, sadness, sorrow. And it was all because of me."_

"And even though I was not in control of my actions sixteen years ago, because of that bastard Madara Uchiha, I still feel responsible for not only the villages destruction, but the pain and suffering Naruto has suffered. So I help him, as much as I can, and pray that one day I can be with him in person. And to be honest, this is probably the best I'm going to get, for now." She looked over at her slightly distorted, ghostly body.

_"However, the world has changed, and now there lies a bigger threat. And the trunk that Naruto received, is one of the weapons that will be used against this threat. Or rather, what was inside of it.  
The trunk itself is called an Extractor. It contains an avatar of a mechanical beast that can be summoned at will, created by demons for humans. This beast is called Asura Machina, and is a terrifying weapon that gives great power to the user to be used how he sees fit. But it comes at a great price."_

Kyuubi's voice went from a serious tone, to a sad one. _"It's powered by a living sacrifice, which we call a Burial Doll. A living sacrifice, that gets it soul slowly chipped away, the more the Asura Machina is used. The sacrifices then appear, as Spectral Apparitions, just like how I am now, giving us the ability to commune with our host. However, normally you would need a special device for everyone to be able to see me, but instead, Naruto's seal works as that device and can allow me to communicate, partly because the seal has been weakened."_

"Eventually, my soul will be chipped away, and I'll become emotionless. After which, if used again, my soul will simply vanish, and I will be no more."

The room was silent. Nobody knew what to say, and I was still too shocked by the information I had just heard to say anything. Tsunade had sat down, but still kept her eyes on the Kyuubi.

"So you're the Burial Doll for this things weapon? Why is that? And can we see this weapon now?"

Kyuubi looked around the room, as though checking for something.

_"I'm the Burial Doll, because of my circumstances. I'm already a living entity living inside of Naruto. Which means, instead of being placed inside the weapon itself, I can reside inside Naruto's body, and still be used as the source of power. And as for seeing the weapon now, I can show you. But its a big weapon, which means this room would get flattened. We'd have to go outside."_

Tsunade nodded. "I know where we can go."

~~~

Ten minutes later, I found myself in one of the villages many training grounds.

Kyuubi was still next to me, and Tsunade and Shizune were standing a few metres ahead of me.

"Go on then. Let us see this weapon." Tsunade said. Kyuubi nodded and turned to me.

_"You need to summon the weapon. In order to do that, you just need to command it to come forth with its name." _She looked at me, with a sad look in her crimson eyes. "_You're Asura Machina's name, is Kurogane."_

"If it's a weapon that slowly chips your soul away... I don't want... to use it." I said, my throat clenching as I tried to talk.

"_But why?" _Kyuubi looked at me fearfully. She wasn't used to getting such a reaction from me.

"I don't want to use this weapon, if it means your soul is going to be slowly chipped away."

She looked at me sadly. She nodded, and forced out a painful smile.

"_Summoning the weapon isn't going to kill me. Please, Naruto. The world is at stake here." _Her eyes made me think that she was about to cry. It hurt to see her tearing up like this, and with the world at stake, I made my decision.

Looking straight ahead, I prayed that I would be able to end this without losing Kyuubi. It would be too hard otherwise. I took a deep breath, exhaled and shouted out the chant.

"Come forth, Kurogane!"

There was a loud noise behind me, the sound of heavy gears clanking together. The ghost of Kyuubi disappeared is a flash of light, but her voice echoed powerfully throughout the air, changing from her normal voice, to the voice of the mechanical beast now standing behind me.

"_More obscure than the darkness coming out from the abyss, that is the shadows cast by the light of science!" _Kyuubi and the mechanical demon's voice said in a powerful voice.

Somehow, the phrase sounded familiar, as though I'd heard that somewhere before.

However, with the presence of a weapon behind me, glaring at me with glowing green eyes, I put it away into my mind for later. The Asura Machina stood tall, and was covered in a jet-black armour, lined with gold around the edges, with a helmet that was also jet-black and rimmed with gold. It looked like a giant version of a warrior clad entirely in heavy, black iron.

Kyuubi's ghost flew out of the weapon and stood in front of it, her crimson hair flying in the wind.

"_This is the weapon. An Asura Machina. Created by the demons for the humans, and used to protect the world from destruction. This is Kurogane."_

As the Hokage and Shizune looked at the machine in awe and panic, I took a step back. This machine was huge!  
And, according to Kyuubi, had a lot of power.

"_We have the weapon, but we have no idea when the enemy will strike. We don't actually know who are opponent is, and we don't know how many of them we are facing, or what the true purpose of these machina are. That's all I know..." _Kyuubi floated towards me, as Kurogane was dismissed back into my's shadow.

Tsunade nodded. "I've seen the weapon. And the fact that right now, Naruto is the only one capable of using it means it's been set-up this way. Somebody deliberately gave Naruto the case, and is now setting things in motion for a bigger plan. But what is it...?" She looked thoughtful for a moment, before looking back up at Kyuubi.

"I need to know one thing. As of right now, you don't seem to be harbouring any hostility towards us. However, I need to know that you are fully prepared to co-operate with us. The villagers of the Hidden Leaf are still terrified of the Nine-Tailed Fox. We'll keep your identity and connection with Naruto a secret from all but a select few, whom Naruto himself can pick from. But I need to know that you're on our side."

Kyuubi looked over at me. I smiled and nodded. Reassuring her, she smiled and looked back at the Hokage.

"_I'm not going to hurt anyone of the Hidden Leaf ever again. I want to protect it. I want to protect the people in it. And more importantly, I want to protect Naruto." _She floated behind me, and put her ghostly arms around my neck. "_Naruto's special to me, in a way only him and me understand. I love him, and want to be with him, forever and ever."_

Whilst Shizune gasped at the sudden revelation, Tsunade smiled. That was more than enough of an answer to her.

~~~

Naruto had gone home with the Kyuubi, smiling again.

Tsunade and Shizune were back in the Hokage Tower, thinking through all of the information that they had just learnt.

"Whew... Just when you thought Naruto couldn't get any stronger." Tsunade sighed. "Something else major is going to happen, just great."

Shizune smiled. "But we have plenty of time to prepare for it, don't we? And there's something I've just thought of..."

Tsunade looked up wearily. "What is it?"

Shizune giggled. "I wonder if the Kyuubi knows about Hinata and Sakura. I get the feeling Naruto's going to have an even harder choice to make sometime in the future."

The Hokage laughed. "Hinata, Sakura or Kyuubi. Which one are you going to choose, Naruto?"


End file.
